1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to advertising, particularly to methods and apparatus for sequentially displaying multiple images in a single display.
2. Description of the Prior Art
With the advent of modern display advertising, limitations on advertising budgets and limited locations for display to high densities of consumers, a great demand has arisen for displaying multiple advertisements at individual popular display locations thereby enabling a number of advertisers to benefit from a single location. Numerous different methods and devices have been proposed for preparing and displaying such advertisements. Many such devices involve relatively unwieldy mechanical elements driven by complex drive mechanisms which require a certain degree of mechanical precision. Thus, in addition to the expense of original manufacture, the user is often faced with expensive maintenance.
In addition, operation of these current drive mechanisms tend to produce an undesirable amount of noise. Typically, these devices are used in public retail outlets or other public locations. The noise level of the drive mechanism frequently predominates over the background music being played at such locations. This noise detracts from the overall environment sought by the retailers at the location where the advertising display is positioned.
It is desirable to have a system that displays multiple images wherein the exchange from one image to another is nearly instantaneous thereby enabling sequential display of different images which gives the impression of animation. Such a sequential display would draw and hold a viewer's attention on what would appear to be an animated advertisement. However, sequential display of multiple images must operate quietly to minimize distraction from the overall environment where the system is located.
Display devices including templates with patterns of apertures which define numbers, letters or figures when they are illuminated by back lighting have been described. See, e.g., Hildburgh, U.S. Pat. No. 1,172,455, and Kass, U.S. Pat. No. 2,982,038. There have also been described display devices including transparency sheets which have images thereon and which are illuminated by back lighting and an overlay mask which blocks the back lighting from illuminating certain areas of the transparency sheets. See, e.g., Elvestrom, U.S. Pat. No. 3,000,125, Fukui, U.S. Pat. No. 3,683,525, and Hasala, U.S. Pat. No. 3,742,631.
In addition, devices have been proposed which include a translucent image screen made up of a mosaic of discrete images formed by relatively small interlaced translucent pixels or window segments which are arranged in uniform groups. The pixels corresponding to a discrete image occupy the same relative position in each group and bear corresponding magnitudes of translucency. The image screen may then be covered with an opaque screen having a uniform pattern of transparent display apertures. The opaque screen blocks back lighting from shining through the image screen except through the display apertures. The uniformly patterned display apertures are then aligned with pixels which correspond to a discrete image and the discrete image is thereby displayed due to the back lighting shining through the image screen and display apertures. The opaque screen may then be selectively shifted on the image screen such that the display apertures align with the pixels of a different discrete image. Thus, each discrete image may be sequentially displayed.
A device of this general description is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,897,802 to Atkinson et al., assigned to the assignee of the present application. While the device, as described in that patent exhibits excellent operational characteristics, it is desirable to provide a more economical and reliable drive and registration system which enables convenient and accurate adjustment of registration between the image screen and mask and enables relatively noise free operations.
While these devices are fit for their intended purpose, they do not provide a multiple image advertising display design having low manufacturing tolerances, extended maintenance free operation, and need for only minor on-site adjustments. Furthermore, these devices do not provide sufficiently quiet operation which is desirable for the advertising display to blend in with the overall environment in which it is located.